Friday, February 8, 2019

Valentine's, Perfect Pesce Portions, Triggerfish

Hey Y'all,

I think the whole city of Atlanta should take a long nap after that Super Bowl!  We made a grand impression on the world thanks to the hard work of a lot of people.  And how about that Atlanta Chief of Police?  I heard Chief Erika Shields on a number of radio interviews and couldn't help but think that, boy, she's got her act together.  I hope she planned a nice long vacation for this post -SuperBowl week.

Fin Mai
Kathleen's Catch is truly a gem in Johns Creek. I have been coming since they opened and have never been disappointed.  I recently spent time in Maine eating lots of lobster and paying anywhere from $19.95 - $25.00 for lobster rolls. Kathleen's is a bargain.

Thanks, Deborah, for mentioning the price of lobster rolls.  People get on Yelp and other places and complain about their size.  Frankly, I couldn't eat more than one if I tried, but for people with large appetities, buying 2 gets you just about in the ball park of our competitors' pricing for one.  They really are a deal!

Irene Jurnac gave us a nice, short review on Google:

Best fresh fish and seafood ever.

Well.  Enough said.

Catch Customers Can Cook
I  ran into Emily Brehmer at the Johns Creek store the other day and reminded her to send me her dinner photos.



Grilled tuna over sautĂ©ed spinach and spaghetti squash with baby bell peppers in a balsamic reduction ,  Kathleen's fresh fish is the star!  (Aww shucks)

If you think that tuna looks pretty tasty, get a look at this salmon!  Emily says it's a Whole 30 recipe and is served with roasted tomatoes and fennel, blistered green beans and spaghetti squash.

Reason Number 4 to Shop at Kathleen's Catch
Our portions are the perfect piece of fish.   We provide fresh fish from our seafood cases to you in three forms.  You can buy a fillet that is sold by the lb.  You can buy whole fish that are sold by the lb.  Or you can buy portions of fish that are sold by the piece.  I like to think of these as portional pesce perfection.


These portions cost more than buying fish by the lb. because as the picture says, there is no skin, no bones, no waste.  There's nothing to throw away.   We make it easy for you!

Valentine's Day
It's coming up next week so it's time to put your thinking caps on.  You need to come up with the reservations at a crowded restaurant.  No problem! Well, except that you waited too long and the only available times are at 10:45.  Hmmm.  Since Valentine's Day is on a Thursday, the two of you are going to be verrry sleepy on Friday morning. And that Valentine's meal is going to set you back the whole month's budget for dinner out.  And you already arranged for that sitter, didn't you?

Hey - we've got your back.  Forget the crowded restaurants and overpriced meals.  Celebrate the love of your life at home, in your slippers.   Since Valentine's Day is on Thursday this year, you need to have a meal that comes together quickly after work, but is still so special that you and your "someone" will be talking about it for days.  We got this.  First thing to do is click here:


As you can see, it's a meal for two.  Just go down the list and pick out your favorite appetizer, entree and dessert.  Send in the form and we will call you to answer any questions, finalize your order and collect the payment.  On Thursday, you just drop by and pick it up.  Make sure you get this order in by Monday.  We need a few days to get it all together so we have to cut off orders at the end of business on Monday. 

Now you need some wine.  Susan Metz, owner of both the Milton and Johns Creek Wine and Crystal, did the picking out for you.

For the appetizer course, 
Marigny-Neuf Sauvignon Blanc $15.99
The color is crystal clear and there are traces of mint. Piercingly fruity with notes of genĂȘt and ivy. Sharp but rich.  That is to say, despite being beautifully dressed, it has a bit of bite. A very aromatic finish is a definite sign that this is a great Sauvignon (and one of Susan's favorites).

For the entree
Bethel Heights Estate Pinot Noir - $30.99
Silky and vibrant, with spirited raspberry and violet aromas that open to effortlessly complex flavors of black cherry, black tea, cardamom and other dark spices.

For the dessert
Koda Wine - $16.99
Premium dessert wine meets decadent natural chocolate flavors. A delightful finish to a perfect meal. Is it the end or just the beginning?

Wait, what?  You can't drink three bottles of wine on a Thursday night?  Then this is the one that covers all the courses:
Jacquart Champagne Brut - $29.99
This champagne is satin pale yellow with golden nuances and jade highlights. Fine bubbles herald a fresh and fairly rich Champagne. Flowery scents of honeyed, honeysuckle petals, fruit aromas of crushed pear, candied lemon and peach, and soft, creamy notes with biscuit and fresh bread crust unfurl on first pour. Fleshy, fruit-driven weight develops on the palate which is forthright, ethereal and generous.

Milton Wine and Crystal  is located inside the Milton Kathleen's Catch .  Johns Creek  Wine and Crystal is next door to the Johns Creek Kathleen's Catch.

Catch to Go
Through Sunday:

Horseradish Crusted Mahi with Spinach, Mushrooms and Jasmine Rice

And next week starting Monday:

Salsa Verde Salmon with Green Beans and Jasmine Rice

What's Cool this Weekend

Have you tried trigger yet?  It is one of my favorite fish, but I thought I would dig into my gigantic collection of seafood cookbooks and get some other opinions.

In the Appendix of Cooking Fish and Shellfish by Ruth Spear (1980) I found this:

"Varieties include the queen trigger and the ocean tally, sometimes called Turbot.  Hard to clean, leathery skin."

What?  That's it?

Even in my more recent cookbooks, all I could find was in Barton Seaver's Two if By Sea (2016) which says:  this dense fish is a textual cross between snapper and grouper with meaty fillets, a mild sweetness and a briny finish.  broil, fry, grill, saute, smoke, stew

Am I the only one that adores this fish?

Finally, in James Patterson's Fish and Shellfish (1996) I found what I was looking for, a true description of trigger.

"If you are lucky enough to spot one  of these at the market - and you'll run into one only if you live along the Eastern Seaboard or in the Caribbean - snatch it up right away.  Triggerfish have delicious firm flesh that takes well to almost any cooking method.  They are peculiar-looking with long hairlike rays sticking out of the tail and the rear dorsal fin.  The name triggerfish refers to an unusual interlocking dorsal fin that has to be "unlocked" by releasing a trigger-shaped spine.  Most triggerfish are slightly longer than a foot and weigh about 2 pounds.  They have very strong scales and tough skin, so I usually just fillet them and remove the skin from the fillets.  The flesh is very firm and lean and can be used in soups and stews, panfried or braised."

This says it all.  If you see it, snatch it up. 

Also, black bass from North Carolina, tile from Florida, fluke flounder from North Carolina and all the other great fish we carry - swordfish, tuna, mahi, Atlantic salmon, Chilean sea bass, steelhead trout.  The list goes on and on ...

And Finally
Just this:


Blessings,
Kathleen


2 comments:

  1. Hi Kathleen,

    It's been a long time since I've seen a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon but I read them and enjoyed them fully. I don't remember the one you posted but it hits the mark square in the middle! Thanks for bringing us superb fish and the Catch to Go which is a go-to meal for us.

    Take care,

    Frank Story

    ReplyDelete
  2. When can I look for softshell crab at Kathleen's?

    ReplyDelete